Solvent-extraction and Langmuir-adsorption-based transport in chemically functionalized nanopore membranes

We have investigated the transport properties of nanopore alumina membranes that were rendered hydrophobic by functionalization with octadecyltrimethoxysilane (ODS). The pores in these ODS-modified membranes are so hydrophobic that they are not wetted by water. Nevertheless, nonionic molecules can be transported from an aqueous feed solution on one side of the membrane, through the dry nanopores, and into an aqueous receiver solution on the other side. The transport mechanism involves Langmuir-type adsorption of the permeating molecule onto the ODS layers lining the pore walls, followed by solid-state diffusion along these ODS layers; we have measured the diffusion coefficients associated with this transport process. We have also investigated the transport properties of membranes prepared by filling the ODS-modified pores with the water-immiscible (hydrophobic) liquid mineral oil. In this case the transport mechanism involves solvent extraction of the permeating molecule into the mineral oil subphase confined with the pores, followed by solution-based diffusion through this liquid subphase. Because of this different transport mechanism, the supported-liquid membranes show substantially better transport selectivity than the ODS-modified membranes that contain no liquid subphase.     

A Concise, Enantioselective Synthesis of (-)- and (+)-Hongconin

Optically pure enone 9c, available in three steps from known 6-deoxy D-galactal derivative 7b, reacts with cyanophthalide 6 to directly afford the natural product (-)-hongconin (1), a compound from traditional Chinese medicine recently shown to exhibit antianginal activity. The enantiomer of 1 and its (+)-cis-diastereomer were also synthesized in a parallel fashion from the L-sugar counterpart. The use of C-glycoside Michael acceptors, as opposed to their O-glycoside counterparts, represents a potentially useful simplification of phthalide annulation methodology in synthesizing numerous other such optically pure isochromanquinoids, since it obviates the inconvenience of additional steps late in the synthetic scheme associated with reductive manipulation of a remaining acetal moiety into the desired pyran ring substituent.     

Inhibition by protease inhibitors of binding of adrenal and sex steroid hormones.

Binding of steroid hormones is inhibited by protease inhibitors and substrates. The protease inhibitors phenylmethyl sulphonylfluoride, tosyl-lysine chloromethyl ketone, and tosylamide-phenylethyl-chloromethyl ketone and the protease substrates tosyl arginine methyl ester and tryptophan methyl ester eliminate specific binding of aldosterone, dexamethasone, dihydrotestosterone, estrogen, and progesterone to their respective receptors. These protease inhibitors and substrates also inhibit binding of progesterone to the 20,000 molecular weight mero-receptor formed from the progesterone receptor in chick oviduct. The binding of estradiol to rat alpha-fetoprotein is inhibited by the protease inhibitors and substrates but not by tryptophan or tryptophan amide, indicating the importance of an ester structure in the inhibition of steroid binding. Our results suggest that all steroid hormone receptors have a site with both common structural features and a role in the regulation of steroid hormone binding.     

Influence of synthesis route on the properties of doped lanthanum cobaltite and its performance as an electrochemical reactor for the partial oxidation of natural gas

La(0.6)Sr(0.4)Co(0.2)Fe(0.8)O(3-delta)(LSCF) perovskite powders have been synthesised by solid-state reaction, co-precipitation, drip pyrolysis and citrate gel routes, and characterised using XRF, XRD, SEM and BET. Co-precipitation using oxalic acid or aqueous ammonia as precipitant failed to achieve the correct chemical composition. Perovskite structures were achieved in all other cases. Surface areas ranging from 0.6 to 17.4 m(2) g(-1) were obtained, which was reflected in the different microstructures observed. The citrate gel product exhibited a convoluted network morphology resulting in its large surface area. Thin-walled (approximately 200 microm) tubular membranes have been manufactured from the LSCF powders using viscous plastic processing. The tubes have been characterised using a custom-built gas analysis rig with on-line mass spectrometry. Porosity levels of the membranes were found to be very low (<0.1%). The spontaneous oxygen flux across the tubular membranes was determined as a function of temperature. Oxygen permeation rates ranged from 0.1 to 0.3 micromol cm(-2) s(-1) at 1273 K. The catalytic behaviour of the LSCF tubes towards methane oxidation has been studied using temperature programmed reaction and conventional catalytic measurements. The tubes favoured combustion reactions, with smaller amounts of partial oxidation and oxidative coupling products observed. Powder coatings have been incorporated to establish the effect of increasing surface area.     

Protein biosensors based on biofunctionalized conical gold nanotubes

There is increasing interest in the concept of using nanopores as the sensing elements in biosensors. The nanopore most often used is the alpha-hemolysin protein channel, and the sensor consists of a single channel embedded within a lipid bilayer membrane. An ionic current is passed through the channel, and analyte species are detected as transient blocks in this current associated with translocation of the analyte through the channel-stochastic sensing. While this is an extremely promising sensing paradigm, it would be advantageous to eliminate the very fragile lipid bilayer membrane and perhaps to replace the biological nanopore with an abiotic equivalent. We describe here a new family of protein biosensors that are based on conically shaped gold nanotubes embedded within a mechanical and chemically robust polymeric membrane. While these sensors also function by passing an ion current through the nanotube, the sensing paradigm is different from the previous devices in that a transient change in the current is not observed. Instead, the protein analyte binds to a biochemical molecular-recognition agent at the mouth of the conical nanotube, resulting in complete blockage of the ion current. Three different molecular-recognition agents, and correspondingly three different protein analytes, were investigated: (i) biotin/streptavidin, (ii) protein-G/immunoglobulin, and (iii) an antibody to the protein ricin with ricin as the analyte.     

The first aldehyde-derived crystalline geminal diol lacking internal electronic stabilization

The first stable crystalline geminal diol of an aldehyde lacking electron-withdrawing groups on the-carbon was synthesized fromd-sorbitol and characterized by¹H and¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and single-crystal x-ray studies. Each hydroxyl is a donor for a single, unique intermolecular hydrogen bond. Only one hydroxyl acts as an acceptor. No intramolecular hydrogen bonding is observed in the crystal.     

Picosecond acoustic transmission measurements. II. Probing high frequency structural relaxation in supercooled glycerol

The high frequency acoustic response of liquids is measured in a manner directly analogous to conventional ultrasonic measurements. Two thin metal films act as acoustic transducer and receiver for a liquid layer between them. Pulsed optical excitation generates high bandwidth wave packets in the transducer, and these are detected in the receiver after damping and dispersion by the liquid. This initial measurement probes structural relaxation dynamics of glycerol in the frequency range 2-20 GHz, for temperatures between 235 and 291 K. The analysis presented here demonstrates the presence of excess relaxation, not accounted for by either the alpha or beta relaxation of the mode-coupling theory, and suggests the presence of constant loss in the susceptibility spectrum of supercooled glycerol.     

Novel fragmentation reaction of correolide

[reaction: see text] Pentacyclic triterpenoid natural product correolide (1) was converted to ketone 2 via ozonolysis. An unusual fragmentation reaction of ketone 2 with LiCl was discovered. This reaction is general among several similar substrates examined and appears to be specific for the correolide-type E-ring structure (ketone). A mechanism involving a retroaldol reaction, a nucleophilic opening of the epoxide, and a subsequent acetoxy elimination reaction was proposed.     

Reactions of a carbene stabilised indium trihydride complex, [InH3{CN(Mes)C2H2N(Mes)}] Mes = mesityl,with transition metal complexes

The reactivity of the carbene stabilised indium trihydride complex, [InH₃(IMes)] IMes = 1,3-dimesitylimidazol-2-ylidene, toward a variety of transition metal complexes has been investigated. The study has shown that the InH₃ complex can act as a carbene and/or hydride transfer reagent to transition metal centres but does not yield heterobimetallic materials. Two new complexes, [Cp₂Ti(-Cl)₂Zn(IMes)Cl] and [CpNi(H)(IMes)], have resulted from this work, both of which have been spectroscopically and structurally characterised.